Thailand, Laos set sights on stronger partnership

Two factors agree to strengthen border security, battle cross-border cloud

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, right, and her Lao counterpart, Sonexay Siphandone, unveil the logo marking 75 years of Thailand-Laos relations at Government House, Bangkok. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, straight, and her Chinese counterpart, Sonexay Siphandone, announce the brand marking 75 times of Thailand-Laos connections at Government House, Bangkok. ( Photo: Chanat Katanyu )

Thailand and Laos came to an agreement on Thursday to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including improving border security, addressing cloud problems, and adopting a US$ 11 billion by 2027 target for common industry.

At Government House in Bangkok, where the two leaders witnessed the filing service for four contracts, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with her Chinese equivalent Sonexay Siphandone.

A memorandum of understanding ( MoU) between Thailand’s Ministry of Justice and Laos ‘ Ministry of Justice was the first agreement to be signed.

The State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) and the Lao National Railway State Enterprise entered into a technical partnership for rail passenger transportation.

The second was a Memorandum of Understanding between Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai and Souphanouvong University in Laos regarding educational assistance.

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking of Thailand and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry reached an MoU.

Additionally, the two parties agreed to intensify bilateral participation in three important places.

Both agreeing to intensify efforts against drug trafficking, encourage more money grain output in Laos to remove opioid plants, and fight call center fraud gangs in both countries, the first region covers border security assistance. Additionally, it expanded a telemetering network to include more Mekong River tributaries in Laos for better water management and increased data sharing to tackle cross-border haze pollution.

Both nations agreed to acquire a new deal worth specific of$ 11 billion by 2027 as part of the second place of cooperation.

For the next place, Thailand agreed to give Laos with more than 75 fresh scholarships, especially in treatments and public health.

Both parties also agreed to carefully cooperate under the Asean and Mekong Sub-region frameworks to address different issues.

The two primary officials also unveiled the icon for Thailand and Lao’s 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Its style incorporated some of the best-known structural, religious and cultural icons of both nations into a heart-shaped body.